TAMPA, Fla.—As the A1 audio mixer for Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Magic home broadcasts, I try to make viewers feel like they’re part of the experience. Whether watching from their living room or on a mobile device, the fans should feel like they’re sitting behind home plate, courtside or inside the arena.
The best broadcasts don’t draw attention to microphones, mixers or technology. They create a listening experience that feels authentic. I don’t want viewers to think that I’m trying to make them hear something. They should hear it naturally.
Sports audio is complex, with crowd noise, public address systems, venue acoustics and the pace of the game all competing for attention. My job is to present the sounds that matter most naturally, so viewers experience the game, not the technology behind it.
Natural Sound
That philosophy is what first drew me to the Shure DCA901 microphone array. I was introduced to the tech through colleagues working on major national broadcasts, and my first opportunity to spend significant time with it came during NBA All-Star Game productions. What stood out immediately was how the DCA901 allowed me to focus less on chasing individual sounds and more on creating a complete listening experience.
In basketball, I originally relied on a large number of microphones spread around the court. Capturing the sounds required constant attention as the action moved from one end of the floor to the other. The DCA901’s steerable lobes and automixing capabilities simplified that process while still giving me the detail and coverage I needed. Instead of constantly chasing the action, I could focus on getting the sound where I wanted it.
What impressed me even more was what I heard when using the DCA901 for baseball. For years, I’ve worked with high-end parabolic microphone systems that are considered industry standards in sports production and they do an excellent job. But when I first listened to the DCA901 behind home plate, I noticed something different.
With many traditional systems, you hear the impact of a baseball hitting a bat. With the DCA901, I felt like I could hear the wood itself. A clean hit sounded different from a foul tip. A player finding the sweet spot sounded different than one getting jammed inside. When a bat splintered, the detail of the wood breaking apart came through with remarkable clarity. As an audio engineer, those details matter, because they’re the sounds that make fans feel connected to the game.
Flexible Coverage
Today, I regularly deploy DCA901 systems on MLB and NBA broadcasts. For basketball, I place units on the basket stanchions. For baseball, I position them along the first- and third-base lines to capture key game sounds throughout the field of play. The steering flexibility gives me options that would traditionally require a much larger microphone deployment.
Pairing the DCA901 with Shure Action Isolator software has also been incredibly valuable. In baseball, I route my effects mics through the Action Isolator before bringing them back into the console. My crowd mics remain separate, so crowd energy stays natural, while Action Isolator cleans up the effects mix and makes it easier to feature key game sounds.
For me, the two technologies complement each other. The DCA901 gives me flexible coverage across the field and court, while Action Isolator helps reduce ambient noise that naturally exists in live sports environments. One feature I’ve especially appreciated is the ability to independently adjust processing on individual channels, allowing me to tailor the mix to the sport, venue and production requirements.
What continues to impress me most is how naturally the system captures important moments. Whether it’s the crack of the bat, the sound of the ball hitting the mitt, a pickoff attempt at first base or action developing across a basketball court, the DCA901 helps reveal details that might otherwise get lost in the mix.
More information is available on the Shure website.
